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Jordan, a White, 20-year-old junior at the University of Washington, is an active student leader on his campus. He serves as a resident assistant, engages in political activism within the Democratic Party, and participates in student government. While he identifies as gay, he feels as those he often is able to “pass” for being straight, saying “I definitely think that my higher level of masculinity might put me into a privilege [sic] higher than another gay man because people don’t perceive me as gay as much.” He mentions that he does not participate in LGBT campus life beyond his friend group, reflecting that he wanted to avoid the “drama” he perceived occurred within the on-campus LGBT organization.

He mentioned how his resident assistant position has helped him make meaning of his own privilege, which built on an experience during his first year when he attended a friend’s presentation on diversity and identity. He commented:

Since that point, I have engaged with others (students, supervisors, and mentors) about these intersections. After talking with them, I began to see how intersections could play larger roles than I had previously thought. For example, I had never really thought about how being a White, cisgendered, gay man holds power. An example of that power is that White, cis, gay men are the face of the gay rights movement and of gay men in the media….Understanding the intersection of multiple identities was easily comprehensible to me, and with further reading and engaging with others in conversation in this issue, I learn more and more.

Joshua, a 21-year-old African American gay male, attends the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Active as a student leader on campus, he has led his campus’s LGBT student organization and is actively involved in the Black Journalist Association on-campus. He is completely out on campus and named being asked to perform in drag at a large campus event for students, faculty, and administrators as one of the highlights of his college experience thus far.

In his discussions, he shared how experiences of discrimination served as motivation for him to continue being his own authentic self in all aspects of his identities. He recalled a recent experience where an African-American male drove past him walking to campus and yelled “fucking faggot.” He commented:

Did it hurt my feelings? Temporarily. Did I react? No. Here’s why: My feelings were hurt not only because of the obvious verbal abuse, but mainly because these were members of the African American community – it always is. Do I believe African Americans are more homophobic? I do not. However, I do feel like these individuals see me as a closer representation of who they are than someone who is White or otherwise. Therefore, if they are insecure about their sexual orientation or gender identity, I am nothing but a flesh and bone reminder of who they are on the inside.

Continuing on, Joshua stated, “My form of activism is living my life, openly and honestly, as a gay black man. Considering how I can count the number of people who do that on one hand…, my unapologetic existence is activism enough.”

What is one thing that you’re taking away from this session that you can put into your own professional practice to support sexual minority males and their multiple identity development on your campus?